Lakeside takes two from Malvern

MALVERN — Primarily a pitcher this season, Lakeside’s Gage Golden proved his worth at the plate in Tuesday’s junior American Legion doubleheader at Malvern.

Golden had five RBI in just three plate appearances as the Rams rolled to a 8-0 win in the first game.

“We always feel confident that when he gets up to the plate, he’ll be able to knock somebody in and score some runs,” Lakeside coach Devin Carpenter said. “Gage pulled through tonight, especially in the first game and I really think that he’s going to be a good ballplayer.”

Lakeside’s top of the order did its job to give the team a first-inning lead. Brady Prince and Ben Muldoon each drew a walk while Jordan Villas and Bryce Aughenbaugh reached on errors before Golden plated two runs with a single.

After stranding two runners in the second, the Rams added four runs in the third, Prince and Wyatt Parchman each with one RBI. Batting ninth in the order, Parchman finished with two singles in three at-bats.

“I feel completely confident in every one of my nine hitters,” said Carpenter. “They all see the ball well, hit the ball well, get on base and score runs. That’s how you win ballgames.”

While the offense provided more than enough support, Aughenbaugh and Preston White held the Leopards in check, allowing two hits with five strikeouts and five walks.

Golden’s sacrifice fly in the fourth and Muldoon’s RBI double in the fifth set the final margin. Jake Turner reached base twice in four plate appearances for the Rams, finishing with one single and two stolen bases.

Carter Martin and Nick Voss each singled for Malvern while Colby Bergan walked and stole a base.

* Locked in a pitchers’ duel for six innings in the second game, Lakeside’s offense came to life in the seventh to complete the sweep.

Leading 3-2, the Rams plated four runs in the top of the seventh and Turner retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame for a 6-2 win.

Villas singled and later scored on an error in the second and Prince had an RBI double in the fifth for Lakeside’s only hits before the sixth.

The Rams had six hits over the last two innings, Turner and Villas each with one RBI and Carter West with a two-run single.

“We’ve been working on hitting the ball out in front, and I think that’s really helping them,” Carpenter said. “We’ve been seeing the ball better lately and working the count to get better pitches to hit.”

Dalton Bray kept the Leopards in the game through six innings, but the offense had no answer for Turner on the mound.

The right-hander scattered two runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk in a complete-game performance.

“I asked him after the sixth inning if he wanted me to bring Gage in, and he said he wanted it,” said Carpenter. “He struggled a little bit in the sixth and let a run score, but he pulled through and got it done.”

Drew Golden had one single and a sacrifice fly in three plate appearances for Malvern while Jacob Hart singled and later scored on an error in the fifth. West had one single and one double in four at-bats for the Rams.

Lakeside has a three-day tournament beginning Friday at Henderson State for its last competition before the zone tournament.

“We faced some good pitchers tonight and we’re going to see a lot of that in the zone tournament,” Carpenter said. “We saw the ball well and hit the ball well tonight; the only mistakes we made our little things that can be fixed.”